Slip Up
by she began to dance
Summary: She could not hurt him again. If she did, Bolin wouldn't come over anymore with his wisecracking sense of humor and his adorable smiling face. His earthbending would no longer shudder the whole world with its strength, only leave cracks and indents like the ones in his heart.


**Setting:** After Makorra kiss and Bolin's heartbreaking sadfest in episode five  
**AN:** For Bolinora week, day two, theme: unrequited love!

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"What's wrong, Korra?"

After hearing about the Fire Ferrets' win over the radio earlier that night, Jinora and Ikki were eagerly awaiting Korra's arrival at temple to shower her with praise. They were up against an experienced group of benders and the earlier mess ups in the game went straight through their ears, only listening, waiting for that final shout of joy, erupting screams filling the arena at the Ferrets' win. Jinora assumed she would be happy; Korra always came home _beaming_ after winning a match, but she stomped into the temple without a single word, slamming her bedroom door, and slumped down onto her bed, the pillow waiting at her head for her chance to scream in frustration.

"Korra! Kooooooorraaaaaaaaaa! Korra, you guys won! That was so awesome! KORRA! Mom, can I go to a match next time? I want to see Korra win! She's so good, she's great! The crowd's screaming is like blood for her veins, I WANT IT IN MY VEINS TOO!"

Pema laughed at Ikki, glancing quickly back Korra's way, and Jinora caught the nervousness in her expression. She concealed it fast, shushing Ikki as Jinora followed the path to the closed off bedroom. She knocked once.

"Go away, Ikki."

"I'm not Ikki."

There was silence on the other end as Jinora waited patiently for Korra to open the door.

"Go away, Jinora."

Jinora frowned and knocked again, twice this time, and smiled as she heard Korra sigh and saw the doorknob twist. Korra was already back on her bed by the time Jinora shut the door behind her and came to kneel at the side of the bed.

"What's wrong, Korra?"

"Nothing."

"But you won."

Korra snorted and clutched the pillow to the back of her head until her knuckles were white. "Yeah, I sure did."

"Um..."

"Jinora, remember earlier when you were telling me what I should do about Mako?"

"Yeah!" Jinora urged, leaning toward her. "What'd he do? What happened? Did you go with my plan? I know you're a firebender and all, but burning down Republic City won't get you on my dad's good side anymore. When we came back from visiting Gran Gran Katara and dad overheard that you messed up the whole city, you were permanently on his bad side until he somehow switched you over to his 'tolerated' side, and then when you burned down the gates, you were back on his 'bad' side again, and if you burn it down, you'll go right back on there and I don't think you'll ever come off."

Korra gaped at her, her jaw hanging open for so long that Jinora's ached just looking at her. She leaned her elbows up onto the bed and raised an eyebrow. "What about the volcano? Did you try that?"

"PFT. Volcano. If that would've went down, Mako might as well have _pushed_ me in instead of jumping."

"Pushed?" Jinora looked mortified. "That was not in my book. And for the record, if he decided to push you into the volcano, then you should dump him." She nodded her head to show extra agreement. "Yes, dump him and ride Naga into battle against _him_. He can't win against you and Naga."

That earned a smile, which Jinora gladly accepted as she leaned back on her legs. She waited for Korra to speak again, watched as she shifted on her bed for a comfortable position. She thought about that novel she read, how after jumping into the volcano, the heroine was given an honorary death, and Jinora knew that even though Korra would already get one, in the end after she died a peaceful death, having been a fully accomplished and amazing Avatar, she did not want to give Korra one now. Not just for winning pro-bending matches and not because some dumb boy made her angry at his lack of emotional commitment.

"I kissed him," Korra said quietly, having settled with lying on her back, looking up at the ceiling. She kissed him, yes, Jinora had read of kisses in her book, too, and it wasn't shocking to hear Korra say she did it. It was all-around hard to comprehend how this firebender didn't like Korra back, though. Kisses and crushes and love were meant to be shared, equally, among two people. And when one of those people were amazing as Korra, wasn't it hard to not share the special things that came with being in love? Korra was brave and strong and not afraid to do things she set her mind to, like a kiss, like trying to win the firebender's heart, trying to show him why she was the perfect choice for him, and not the other girl.

"But Bolin," Korra sighed, rubbing her eyes angrily. "He... we went out, Bolin and me- it was nothing special-" she added quickly, glancing at Jinora before looking back to the ceiling. "Ugh, no, I mean, it was great! Bolin's great, he's a great friend... it was fun, I had fun, but I guess he thought of it as something more? I didn't mean to hurt his feelings!"

Jinora's breath caught in her throat, her eyes widening in shock as she listened to Korra explain. _Bolin._ Bolin liked her? And she liked Mako? And she kissed Mako?

"He saw us and he ran away and- hey, what's wrong?"

Jinora stared at her, afraid to say anything. Her mind was working at such a high speed, she already felt a headache coming on (it came with the family; her temples throbbed with just a mention of her two siblings).

"I-uh," she suddenly found Korra's bedroom to be very interesting...

"Jinora..."

"I-How rude, Korra!" she squeaked, slapping her hands to her mouth soon after. Korra's eyes bulged and Jinora's were closed tight to avoid any confrontation.

"Uh-"

Jinora lifted her hands from her mouth. "I mean, Bolin is so kind. You two even went out! It's not like you were with anyone else, Korra, how could you not notice that this boy _l-l-likes_ you? You would just prance around with his feelings and then go on and kiss Mako? It's not like he even likes you, you told me he liked that other girl!"

Korra's face flickered from pain, which caused Jinora to put her hands to her mouth again, to confusion. She shook her head. Her eyes glanced to Jinora to the ceiling to the wall across from the bed.

"I'm sorry, I just mean... you just... Bolin must've said _something_ to get you to go out with him.."

"Um, well, yeah..."

"HOW DO YOU NOT GET THE HINT THEN?" Jinora urged. She was dead, so dead.

"I... know I should apologize... maybe I should give him a chance.. then?"

"No," Jinora shook her head, aghast, it was so simple, how could this teenager, seven years wiser, yet hardly, if she kept this up, be so stupid? "No, no you can't, because you blew it."

"I-"

"You ruined it, and he may forgive you, but it's not like he'll trust you with his heart again. You crushed it to tiny pieces, so tiny he probably can't even _find_ all the pieces to patch it back up! There's not a healer in the world who can help him, not even Gran Gran Katara, and Gran Gran Katara is an amazing healer, you know that! Nope, you just crushed him. C-r-u-s-h-e-d him like you crushed the Rabaroos!"

She gulped down some air as she let Korra process her mistake, process the idea that she _could not hurt him again._ It was too cruel, she wouldn't let her. If she did, Bolin wouldn't come over anymore with his wisecracking sense of humor and his adorable smiling face. His earthbending would no longer shudder the whole world with its strength, only leaves cracks and indents like the ones in his heart.

Next time he came over, she would have moon peaches and lychee juice for him and an eagerly awaiting practice session, earth versus air, substance versus freedom, and maybe this time, just to get him extra happy, she'd let _him_ win for a change.

"You like him, Jinora, don't you?"

Jinora prayed that her face stayed its ever so calm look even though she felt it growing hot. She switched her hands to behind her back so she could simultaneously wring them around nervously while not having to look at them and face Korra head-on, as if she _wasn't_ nervous. "What?!"

Despite the fact that Jinora yelled, could've screamed if she was that kind of airbender, Korra smirked down at her and laughed.

"You have a crush on Bolin, oh my god! A crush! You! Bolin!"

"I do not! I- Korra, stop ignoring the subject!"

"_You_ stop ignoring the subject!" Korra fell back against the bed and kicked her legs, her laugh echoing across the room. Jinora looked back nervously towards the door, willing everyone to not hear the laugh, willing her own heart to stop picking up speed.

"You need to apologize and reflect back on your mistakes so you don't make them again."

"Geez, Jin, who are you? My mom?" Korra's voice was playful, her arm reaching out to poke Jinora in the side. She squealed and ran to the door. "You're red, Jinora, you completely gave yourself away!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Korra. I have to go help my mother."

"Jinora, you know it's okay? I won't tell," her giggle quieted down but heightened from time to time as Jinora pondered facing the door. "It's cute, you're so cute!"

"I have to go read my book. Glad I could help you with your problem." she sighed, the door knocking against her arm as she walked out of the room.

"I thought you said you had to help Pema!" Korra broke into laughter again. "W-wait!"

Jinora pulled the door shut with her airbending and padded to her own room, so stupid she was, she shouldn't have even _mentioned_ anything, stupid, stupid. She sat contemplating how long exactly she could stay hidden from Korra before her absence would become a problem for her parents.

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End file.
